


Five Times Akira Kurusu Almost got to know Haru Okumura and the One Time He Did

by NextTrickAnvils



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Akira just wants to help you guys, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Other characters will probably get added, Some in-game dialogue
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-19
Updated: 2018-11-06
Packaged: 2019-05-25 14:39:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 5,479
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14979308
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NextTrickAnvils/pseuds/NextTrickAnvils
Summary: What if Akira had met Haru earlier in the events of Persona 5?





	1. The Roof

**Author's Note:**

> Because I love this ship, I love Haru, and I do wish the game gave us some more moments with her before she officially joined the team.

As soon as classes ended, Akira headed straight to the stairs leading to the roof. The plan was to make one last push through the castle and get to the Treasure Room. Both Ann and Ryuji had minor things to deal with but assured him that they'll join him on the roof as soon as possible. At the very least, Akira could have a discussion with Morgana while they waited.

However that plan went right out the window when Akira opened the door and found himself face-to-face with another student. A girl with fluffy light brown hair wearing a gym uniform and holding a watering can.

The two stared at each other, surprised by the other's presence. The girl was the first to say something, "O-oh hello. What are you doing up here?"

"Uh... I..."

Akira's mind went blank. He couldn't think of a passable lie and there was no way he was going to tell this random girl the truth. Honestly, the truth still sounded ridiculous to him: 'Hi I'm Akira Kurusu. I'm here to met with my two new friends and a talking cat that only we can hear and discuss going to a magic dark dimension to steal the heart of the volleyball coach so he'll stop abusing his team and sexually harassing and assaulting female students.'

Thinking of nothing else to say besides the absolute worst thing to say, he ignored the girl and walked over to the cluster of abandoned desks. Glancing around, he immediately noticed the planters. Did Shujin have a gardening club that he wasn’t aware of? Or was it just this girl?

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard the other student speak.

“Wait a minute... you're the new transfer student aren't you?"

Akira sighed and nodded. It had quickly become a routine despite his short time in Tokyo. Now here come the comments and the questions and the...

"I'm sorry."

...Apology?

Akira's eyes widened, he turned around and was once again face-to-face with the other student. Her cheeks turned a faint pink color and she glanced to the side.

"I'm sorry that you're going through all this. The rumors and gossip I mean. I… I understand what's it's like when people don't see the real you." she said with a sad smile

Now Akira was curious. Just from her appearance alone, she didn't seem like the type of person to have unpleasant rumors surrounding her. Then again as he’s learned first hand, looks can be deceiving and from her expression, he could tell that there was something very wrong.

Even though he didn’t even know her name, he wanted to help.

Akira cleared his throat and the girl turned her eyes to him again.

"Can I..."

Before Akira could finish his question, the door loudly burst open, causing Akira to nearly jump out of his skin while the fluffy haired girl let out a squeak of surprise and dropped her watering can.

"HEY MAN! YOU READY TO KICK SOME..."

Ryuji stopped as he realized that he and Akira were not alone. He looked between Akira and the mystery girl.

“Am I interrupting something?”

The girl shook her head, “No it’s alright. I should be heading back downstairs anyway.”

With that, she picked up the watering can and walked to the door. But just as she was about to leave, she turned around and gave that same sad smile to Akira.

"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone you're up here. Just make sure you don't stay for too long, alright?"

With that, the girl left and Ryuji and Akira simply stared at the now closed door.

"Did you know that girl?" Ryuji asked

"Uh… We just... caught each other by surprise. That's all, don’t worry about it."

It’s not like he was going to see her again. He didn’t even get her name.


	2. The Buffet

The amount of food was almost overwhelming. Akira hadn't even heard of half of these dishes. Maybe Ann and Ryuji both made the right call by sticking to one table each.

But eventually his and Morgana’s little mission was finished and the two both agreed to head back to the others. That is until someone by the Dessert Table caught their eyes.

It was her, the girl from the rooftop. Her hair was tied in a short ponytail with a flower corsage for decoration and the gym uniform was replaced with a lilac dress but it was definitely her. Akira couldn't help but think that she looked quite regal.

"Heeey, isn't that the girl you..."

Akira used his free hand to shake the bag, causing Morgana to go back in. Unfortunately he could still hear him snickering inside. 

Despite the fact that his (not) feline companion had been inside Akira's school bag at the time, Morgana heard everything that day on the roof. Since then he liked to tease Akira of "trying to be the noble knight rescuing the fair damsel." even after Akira tried to explain that he just wanted to help, nothing more. 

Like the (not) cat had any room to talk with all his attempts to impress "Lady" Ann.

Things got a little more frustrating when during their palace infiltration on that same day, Ryuji joined in on the teasing. ("Just caught each other by surprise huh? You sure that was all?")

Pushing all of that aside in his mind, Akira decided to walk over. This time, he was the first one to speak.

"Well, this is a surprise."

The girl turned to his voice, her surprise quickly turned to joy.

"It's you, the boy on the roof!"

Akira chuckled, right, he wasn't able to give his name to her either. He gave her a small smile, "Just so you know I do have a name, it's Akira."

"Haru. It's nice to properly meet you Akira-kun."

The fluffy-haired girl placed her plate of dessert on the table and gave a formal bow. After putting his own plate aside, Akira responded in kind. Haru picked up her plate and continued looking at the selection of desserts.

"So what brings you here? I don't see other students at this place often."

"Oh... uh... my friends and I- we got a job together. Everything went well so we're celebrating."

"Congratulations! I'm glad to hear that thing’s seem to be going better for you. In fact, here..."

With that, Haru picked up a set of tongs and grabbed two cups of a yellow and brown dessert. One added to her plate and the other added to Akira's already large collection of food.

"For a job well done. You definitely need to try the creme brulee here, it's amazing!"

Haru gave him a smile, not the quiet sad one she had on the roof, but a truly genuine happy smile and Akira could feel a slight blush on his face.

"Thank you."

Haru looked like she was going to say something else but before she could continue, a man in a sleek white suit came over and grabbed her shoulder.

"There you are, my dear."

Immediately the girl stiffened, her smile dropped, and she became almost like a different person.

"You were taking so long, your father and I were getting worried."

"I didn't realize, my apologies." she said, all the previous enthusiasm drained from her voice

"Well surely, you have enough on your plate now. I'll take you back to our table."

Haru wordlessly nodded and walked away with him, his hand still gripping her shoulder. The man briefly turned to look at Akira and brought his attention back to Haru.

"Perhaps I should speak with our fathers on whether we should use this venue again in the future. After all if they're allowing this type of crowd in..."

It was spoken in a low tone but just loud enough for Akira to hear it.

There was a part of Akira that wanted to shout at the man, grab Haru, JUST DO OR SAY SOMETHING instead of just standing there. But no, he couldn’t. Images flashed in his mind of that night in his hometown. 

It wouldn’t do to get a REAL assault charge on his record with the false one. Not to mention he felt like he was already on thin ice in this place, he shouldn't be causing a scene. 

Didn't stop him from balling his free hand into a fist and shooting a dark look in the man's direction. It would do for now.

Morgana briefly popped out of the bag and gave Akira a concerned look, "Hey you should head back to the others, they’re probably wondering what’s taking us so long."

Akira relaxed and nodded. Haru was still on his mind but there wasn’t much he could do at the moment. He would think of something another time. For now, at least he can go enjoy one victory with his friends.


	3. The Fireworks Festival

"...I'm gonna say it. You look weird without your glasses."

"I don't know why you think this is something to comment on. You've seen me without glasses before." Akira said quietly

"Yeah when you're sleeping or in the Metaverse. This is different. It feels like something's missing. Not to mention I keep thinking you're gonna walk into a sign post or something."

Akira simply rolled his eyes.

"While I appreciate your concern Morgana, I think I'll be fine. Now get back in the bag."

It was difficult enough to deal with Morgana on the train but at least there he could stand still or sit. At least there'd be air conditioning. But unfortunately due to the festival, the trains were too crowded for him to ride so he had to go by foot.

As he continued walking, Akira pulled his phone out his pocket and started to message the group.

**AKIRA:** Going to be a little late. Trains were too crowded so I have to walk.  
 **RYUJI:** Dude that suuuucks.  
 **RYUJI:** Me and Yusuke are already at the station.  
 **RYUJI:** But the girls haven't shown yet so don't worry we'll be waiting for ya.  
 **RYUJI:** And be careful k?  
 **YUSUKE:** Please do not overexert yourself in this heat on our behalf.  
 **AKIRA:** Yes mom and dad.  
 **RYUJI:** Dude don't be weird.

Akira smirked and was prepared to type up another reply when someone walked right into him.

"Ah!"

"Oh! I'm so sorry! I was trying to walk through the crowd and... it's you! Akira-kun! I almost didn't recognize you without your glasses."

Akira's eyes widened, he couldn't believe it. Standing in front of him, in a pink yukata, was the girl he saw on the roof and the buffet all those months ago. Haru was her name wasn't it?

The two stared at each other for a brief moment before Akira cleared his throat and gathered as much charm as he could.

"We uh... we have got to stop meeting like this. Haru right?"

Haru giggled at the line and nodded at the question. Before the two could say anything else, Akira felt Morgana moving around in the bag.

"What's going on? You ran into a sign post didn't you? I told you!"

Morgana poked his head out and was greeted with the sight of Haru's widening smile.

"Oh what a cute cat you have."

"Hey! It's the girl you wanted to play hero for!"

Akira ignored the (not) cat's comment. Not like he could respond with Haru standing right there anyway.

"Hi there kitty. What's your name?"

"This is Morgana. You can pet him if you want. He can be a pain but he's a good cat."

"H-hey! Don't treat me like some common house pehhhhhhhaaaahhh..."

Morgana's protests dissolved as Haru scratched behind his ears.

"Hehe, I think he liked that."

They stood there for a minute or two. But while the sight was entertaining, (and if Akira had to honest with himself... kind of cute too) he and Morgana couldn't stand here all day. So Akira cleared his throat to get Haru's attention.

"It was nice to see you again Haru but I need to hurry and go meet with my friends."

"Oh, you're going to watch the fireworks tonight?"

He nodded. Haru looked deep in thought and her cheeks turned pink.

"Would it... would it be alright if I asked to come along?"

"...Uh... well..."

His cheeks turned as pink as Haru's and for a brief moment, Akira considered saying "yes." The others wouldn't mind would they?

...No. This was meant to be a celebration for The Phantoms. He really shouldn't be bringing along someone outside the team.

"Sorry, this is something my friends and I had been planning so..."

Haru briefly looked disappointed but her smile quickly returned.

"No, you don't need to apologize. I shouldn't keep you from your friends."

She gave a formal bow to Akira and a pet on the head to Morgana.

"Good-bye Akira-kun, Morgana-chan. I'm sure we'll see each other again."

Akira smiled and waved good-bye as Haru disappeared into the crowd. As soon as she was gone, Morgana started to laugh. Akira looked down and saw his companion with the same smug look from earlier.

"We're going to keep this between us, alright Morgana?"

"Maybe if I get some sushi."

"...I'll pick some up at the convenience store after the festival."

"Hm... I would have preferred higher quality but I suppose it will do."

\--------------------------------------

_"Due to the sudden change in weather: a heavy rain and flood warning has been issued nearby..."_

Akira sighed as the announcement continued on, so much for the celebration. He shoots a quick apologetic look to Makoto. It's then that he sees a familiar pink yukata on the other side of the street. He watches as Haru is escorted into the expensive looking car.

Her smile from earlier is long gone and there's something in her expression that leaves Akira with an unpleasant feeling in his chest.

'She looks so... lonely.'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If any of you had "rich girl escapes her handlers and meets her love interest" on your Trope Bingo cards, mark the space. :P


	4. The Hawaii Trip

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alt title for this chapter: Ryuji and Yusuke are the worst wingmen.
> 
> Also you can take my headcanon that Ryuji would mercilessly tease Akira over a potential crush out of my cold dead hands. :P

"DUDE, THIS IS SO AWESOME!"

"Ryuji, volume. Do we need to have the "secret identities" talk again?" Akira remarked

"Aw come on, Akira. You can't tell me that you're not at least a little hyped about the whole world talking about the Phantom Thieves. Yusuke, what about you?"

"It is fascinating to witness how far we've come." said Yusuke

Akira crossed his arms and gave a not so serious smirk, "Well... I guess it is kind of cool."

"...S'pose I should take what I can get from you two. So anything else you guys want to do while we wait for the gi... Huh?"

"Ryuji?"

"Dude, over there."

Akira turned to where Ryuji was facing and immediately his eyes widened. 

Sitting on a bench, under the shade of the nearby palm trees, was Haru. The mystery girl he had kept running into over and over this year.

"Hey, ain't she kinda cute? Maybe we should ask her some questions too."

Before Akira could give an answer either way, Ryuji was already running over to the fluffy haired girl. He shook his head and followed with Yusuke right behind. When the three stopped in front of her, Haru looked up from her phone.

"Ah... Free time is almost up. Shouldn't you be heading... oh hello Akira-kun!"

Ryuji and Yusuke turned to look Akira who merely offered a small smile.

"...It's nice to see you again Haru."

"I see that the two of you are already acquainted."

"Dude, when did you... two... meet..." 

A ridiculous expression then appeared on Ryuji's face and Akira felt a sense of dread. If there was one thing he had learned in his months long friendship with Ryuji Sakamoto, it is that **nothing good** ever happens with that expression.

"Excuse us miss..."

Akira then felt himself pulled away by the arm, Yusuke once again following behind. As soon as they were out of earshot of Haru, he felt Ryuji sling his arm over his shoulder. 

"Dude! Isn't she your "damsel" or whatever Mona called her?"

Akira could feel his face becoming red. He had hoped that Ryuji had forgotten about Morgana's "noble knight and fair damsel" comments from months ago.

"Damsel?" Yusuke asked

"Oh yeah, this was before we met you. Akira met this girl on the school roof and according to Mona, he was trying to play hero for her."

Of all the times for Ryuji to decide he actually **wants** to agree with Morgana, why'd it have to be over this?

"...We bumped into each other, talked a little bit, and that was it." Akira responded in an annoyed tone

He also met her at the buffet back in May and ran into her before seeing everyone at the Fireworks Festival. But he wasn't going to let Ryuji know that.

"Yeah but didn't we also see her watering flowers at school?! Plus you two already know each other's names apparently. Maybe this is like destiny or something."

Yusuke couldn't help but crack a small smile, "It could be that the two of you are connected in some way. By the Red String of Fate perhaps."

"The red what?" Ryuji asked

"It is an old legend. Two people who are destined to be together are tied by an invisible red string on their pinkie fingers. While the string can tangle and stretch, it will never break, hopefully bringing the two individuals together one day."

"...Ya know with all the shit we've been through this year, I think I can buy into invisible destiny string."

...All Akira wanted right now was some freak tsunami to come and drag him into the ocean. Makoto could take over as leader of the Phantom Thieves, right?

So caught up in that thought, Akira almost didn't notice Ryuji and Yusuke walking away.

"Hey! Where are you going!?"

"Me and Yusuke are gonna see if Ann and Makoto are done shopping. Have fun!~"

Akira sighed. He glanced over, saw Haru still sitting on the bench, and walked back to her.

"I'm sorry about my friends. They can be a bit..."

"...Enthusiastic?" Haru offered

He smiled as he sat down next to her, "Sure, let's go with that."

Haru laughed a little at that. Although the redness in his face had faded, Akira felt his cheeks heating up again.

"S-so! How have you been enjoying Hawaii, Haru?"

"I admit I've been so busy with chaperone duties that I haven't done much. But it's still been nice to have my mind off of things. I'm hoping that I'll have the time to try some Kona coffee before we leave."

Akira looked at her with surprise.

"That's... pretty expensive. But I guess you don't want to just settle with a Kona Blend."

She shook her head, "It's expensive but I would rather have the real thing. You seem to know a bit about coffee, Akira-kun."

"Heh, I would hope so. I've been living and working in a cafe since April."

"Really!? What cafe is it? Maybe I could visit."

...It would be nice to just meet with Haru rather than just randomly bumping into her. Plus Boss would be happy to have another customer. Why not?

"Cafe LeBlanc, it's in one of the back alleys in Yongen-Jaya."

"Thank you, I'll be sure to come by sometime."

The chime of a phone rings out and Haru pulls it out of her pocket.

"Oh! It looks like one of the teachers need me."

Haru stands up and smiles at Akira.

"I'm glad we ran into each other again, Akira-kun. See ya."

"S-see ya." Akira said, as he tried to ignore the strange fluttering feeling in his chest

\--------------------------------------

"Don't you think we still have a lot to learn about each other though?"

Akira and Ryuji looked over at Ann curiously.

"Like?" They both asked

A cat-like grin appeared on Ann's face, "You know, things like what kind of people we like... So, time to come clean, Ryuji!"

"Me!?"

Akira smirked, "Oh this will be good."

Ryuji shot him a quick glare before facing Ann.

"Uhhh, well... she's... she's gotta have a good personality. I'm okay with anyone who's modest and nice..."

"What about if two girls with equally good personalities confessed to you at the same time?"

"If they're equally nice?"

"Don't do it Ryuji, it's a trap." Akira said

Unfortunately Ryuji ignored Akira's warning and answered, "Well then it'd hafta be the one with the hotter bod."

"So looks are what's most important to you." Ann replied

"What!?"

"I tried to warn you."

"Your first answer was just superficial. The second answer was how you really feel."

Akira chuckled over Ryuji decrying the whole thing as unfair.

"What about you, Akira? C'mon, spill the beans. What kind of girl is your type?"

At that moment, a vision of brown eyes and fluffy hair flashed in Akira's mind. He turned away from Ryuji and Ann.

"I-I don't have a type."

"Pfft, yeah right! I know exactly what your type is... _Akira-kun~_ " Ryuji responded with what Akira assumed was supposed to be an imitation of Haru's voice

Without saying a word, Akira tossed one of the spare pillows at his best friend's face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ya'll can also find me on Tumblr @ NextTrickAnvils
> 
> Akira refuses to admit it but he's pretty much reached the point of "OH NO SHE'S CUTE!"
> 
> If you're wondering about the Kona Blend thing. Basically Kona Coffee is rare and super expensive so some places offer cheaper Kona Blends which are a combination of Kona Coffee and another foreign coffee. Often these are considered rip-offs because they'll often only have the minimum required 10% of those beans. (Thanks Google!) So I figured that Haru would prefer the real deal over a cheaper watered down version.
> 
> Also for those curious, Haru didn't get the chance to visit LeBlanc (at least before she actually does in canon) thanks to issues with her dad and Sugimura.


	5. The Metaverse/The School

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I admit that I’m not as big on this chapter as the others. I think it’s mostly cause we’re now in “somewhat canon” territory and I wanted to avoid just rehashing that part of the game. I at least hope did okay on that front.

Beauty Thief.

Just saying the name in his head made Akira wince.

It was so obviously Morgana’s idea and judging from the tone of the girl’s voice, not even she was 100% on board with it. But at the same time, she was trying so hard to follow Morgana’s script.

Then there’s this feeling that he’s seen her somewhere before.

Honestly Akira isn’t sure what to think of this girl.

“Do you even understand what it means to be a phantom thief? An admirable phantom thief is…”

“Yeah, tell them!”

There was small pause before she pointed to Akira.

“You! What do you think it means!?”

Akira answered honestly, “One who helps the weak.”

“Yes, that’s right…?”

She clearly wasn’t expecting that answer and… was she blushing?

“Enough with the idle chitchat!”

Okay now Akira was starting to feel bad like he just kicked a very enthusiastic puppy.

The rest of the encounter went downhill from there. Then came the part where she somehow opened the door and got everyone chased by shadows.

After reconvening at LeBlanc, Makoto eventually came up with a plan to look through the registry in the student council room tomorrow to figure out Beauty Thief’s identity.

 

* * *

 

“So… many… students.”

Akira pushed his glasses up and rubbed his eyes. Even without having a name to look up; he wasn’t expecting this to take so long.

How was it so difficult to find a girl with brown… fluffy… hair…

…Wait…

“Hm? This girl!”

Everyone gathered around the book in front of Ann and Akira’s jaw nearly dropped.

“Haru Okumura? …Okumura!?” Makoto shouted

This had to be a joke.

“Wasn’t the Beauty Thief like this too? Especially the fluffy hair.”

Of all the students she could’ve been… it had to be her… it had to be Haru.

As his friends continued talking, Akira looked at the photo of the familiar girl. He couldn’t help but wonder if there really was such a thing as fate or destiny… and if it was laughing at him.

It was then that he could feel Ryuji leaning over him.

He then whispered to Akira, “Hey dude. Isn’t Haru the name of the girl that you’re…”

“Not a word.” he whispered back

With their plan for tomorrow established, everyone exited the Student Council room. Akira headed downstairs to the school entrance. He tried to think of what he should do for the rest of the day when he spotted the Beauty Thief herself, struggling with a cart of bagged soil.

“Come… on… move!”

Yup destiny was definitely laughing at him.

…Well destiny or not; Akira wasn’t the type to ignore someone when they needed help.

“That looks heavy.”

Immediately Haru turned around and smiled.

“Hello Akira-kun. Um… you wouldn’t mind helping me with this would you?”

 

* * *

 

Akira placed the last bag down and started to shake and stretch his arms. If Haru really was the only one doing the gardening at the school; he has developed a whole new respect for her.

Haru looked at him and giggled.

“You sure are strong, Akira-kun…”

Both the sound of her laugh and the compliment caused Akira to blush a little. But before he could respond, Haru continued in a quieter tone.

“…I guess all that time in the Metaverse paid off.”

Akira did his best to hide his surprise. How did she figure them out!? Did Morgana tell her their real identities?

As if she had read his mind, Haru responded, “Mona-chan didn’t tell me who you were. Before I found myself in the Metaverse, I saw him wandering around the Okumura Foods office building. I remembered him from when I bumped into you two at the Fireworks Festival. I don’t know about the others, just you.”

Haru then smiled and walked closer toward Akira.

“But… Mona-chan did tell me something… interesting.”

She came in closer and closer. Quickly closing in on Akira’s personal space. He took a deep breath and mentally put on his Joker mask.

“Really? What did he say?”

There was something in Haru’s smile, like she had put on her own mask and it was certainly different from “Beauty Thief.”

“He told me that you had a weakness…”

“…Morgana tends to exaggerate. But I am curious to hear what he thinks this weakness of mine is.”

They were practically in each other’s faces, close enough to touch, maybe close enough to…

There was a small part of Akira telling him to stop… whatever this was. But he had to admit that this wasn’t… bad.

“Well…”

“Akira?”

Hearing someone else’s voice snapped the two of them out of the moment. Upon realizing just how close they were; they turned red and quickly backed away from each other. Akira turned around to see Makoto approaching them. She proceeded to walk past him and face Haru.

“Haru Okumura, correct? The only daughter of Kunikazu Okumura, CEO of Okumura Foods. Care to explain why you were inside your father’s Palace?”

Haru’s smile returned, “Wow you figured it out in just a day. Ah! You were the one in the biker gang outfit, you looked really good!”

“Let’s… not talk about that…”

From there, Haru told the two how she came across Morgana, her reasons for becoming a phantom thief, and her refusal to join them. It was clear that Haru wasn’t going to budge on that last point so Makoto and Akira had to leave. 

As they walked away, Akira briefly looked back and noticed a strange expression on Haru along with a creeping blush.

 

* * *

 

“…It seems getting her cooperation won’t be possible. Let’s consult with the others on our next move. We shouldn’t ignore Morgana either.”

“Right.”

“By the way Akira-kun, what was going on between you and Haru before I arrived?”

Akira froze and turned away from Makoto in an attempt to hide the returning blush on his face.

“Akira-kun?”

“We… we were just talking. A-about gardening.”

Akira didn’t need to look at Makoto to know she didn’t quite buy that.

“The two of you seemed awfully close for "just talking.”“

”…I… Oh! Sorry Makoto, I need to head back to LeBlanc, I just rememberd that I promised Boss I’d help out as soon as school let out. We’ll talk more at the next group meeting. See ya!“

Before Makoto could say anything in response, Akira rushed down the street.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TFW you're trying to do a Batman+Catwoman moment but you and your crush are both dumb awkward teenagers. Also if you're curious about the "weakness," Morgana said to Haru: "Joker has a soft spot for you." ;)
> 
> Ya'll can find me on tumblr @ http://nexttrickanvils.tumblr.com/
> 
> Also I made an Akira x Haru discord server! So if any of you wanna scream with me about these fluffy kids, come join! https://discordapp.com/invite/Bj8rX5r


	6. The Morning After

After all the chaos from yesterday, it was nice to simply sit down with some food and coffee and just talk.

 

Akira probably should have realized it was too good to be true by the time Sojiro leaned over to him.

 

"...Hey. What's going on here? You brought over another girl?"

 

He avoided making a scene even as he nearly choked on his food.

 

"It's... D-don't get any ideas." Akira said in reply

 

"That's not what I meant..."

 

Sure it wasn't.

 

"Anyway, don't break her heart, all right?"

 

"Mwe-heh-heh-heh." Futaba laughed

 

Before Akira could respond to either Sojiro or Futaba, the former turned to Haru.

 

"So, you found our cat, and even took care of it?"

 

Haru shook her head and gave that small smile.

 

"Oh, it wasn't a bother or anything."

 

Akira and Futaba both chuckled as Morgana piped in with how it was really the other way around. Haru's smile widened and she quickly joined in the laughter.

 

"What's up? You seem happy." said Futaba

 

"It's been a while since I've had a meal with so many people."

 

Akira's smile dropped at that and he felt a small pain in his chest. Haru must be incredibly lonely to consider three people and a cat as "so many people." His thought is interrupted by Sojiro clearing his throat.

 

"Make sure you go home today before it gets too late, okay? I'm sure your parents are worried."

 

With that, Sojiro went back to behind the counter. Akira, Futaba, and Morgana then gave Haru sympathetic looks.

 

"It's fine if you don't wanna go home either, you know. In fact... I'm sure Akira wouldn't mind.~"

 

If Haru noticed Futaba's implication or the glare on Akira's face, she didn't say anything. Instead she shook her head and said that she would be going home.

 

"If my father suspects something, it'll be more difficult to change his heart, wouldn't it? I'll contact you again so-- oh right! Can we exchange contact info?"

 

Akira couldn't help but find this a little funny. He kept encountering Haru all year and only now is he actually getting her contact information. From the corner of his eye, he sees Futaba smirking at him.

 

"Don't read too much into this, you're getting her info too you know." He whispered

 

The meal continued peacefully until Haru announced that she should get going. Morgana tried to offer to go with her but Haru told the (not) cat that he belonged in LeBlanc.

 

Without even thinking, Akira spoke up.

 

"How about I go? ...At least ride the subway with you..."

 

Haru looked unsure what to say first but she quickly smiled, "Oh... okay Akira-kun."

 

Ignoring the looks from both Futaba and Morgana, Akira stood up and took Haru's hand.

 

"I'll be back soon Sojiro."

 

As the two walked out, Akira could faintly hear his guardian chuckle and mutter, "Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

 

* * *

 

The two had been on the subway for about fifteen minutes now. Neither has said a word to the other. Here Akira thought he was getting better at speaking his mind to others but...

 

He felt that he need to say something. So he took a deep breath and faced Haru.

 

"...Can I say…?"

 

“...Can I say…?”

 

The two stared as they realized they were both speaking.

 

"...Heh, ladies first." Akira said with a smile

 

Haru blushed, "I... I was just thinking how funny it is that we kept bumping into each other throughout the year. Now here we are. It's almost like we were connected in some way."

 

"Like... the Red String of Fate?"

 

The blush on Haru's face grew redder.

 

"I suppose you could say that. Two people tied together by destiny and no matter how much the string stretches or tangles; they eventually find each other."

 

"Haru, I'm sorry if that made you uncomfor..."

 

"No! It's- it's fine." Haru said as she placed her hand on Akira's; causing his own face to turn red.

 

She continued, "It's a rather nice thought actually. Like fate was trying to bring you to me... Um! To help me I mean!"

 

Akira chuckled, "Honestly that was all I wanted to do from the start."

 

"Huh?"

 

"The day we met. On the roof? There was a sadness in your smile. All I could think of was "I don't know her name but I want to help.""

 

Haru stared at Akira with an amazed look and squeezed his hand.

 

"Hehehe. I meet the leader of the Phantom Thieves and he's exactly what I always imagined."

 

Akira could feel his blush deepen.

 

"Haru..."

 

_NOW ARRIVING IN AZABU-JŪBAN! NOW ARRIVING IN AZABU-JŪBAN_

 

"Oh that's my stop. I suppose we'll just talk again another time."

 

"Y-yeah."

 

The two stand up and take hold of the handrails as the train slowly comes to a stop. Eventually the doors open and they join the crowd stepping out into the station.

 

Once they separate from the crowd, Haru smiles and embraces Akira. With the way his heart is beating, he almost worries that it's going to burst out of his chest.

 

"Thank you for coming along with me. Good-bye Akira-kun."

 

"See you later, Haru... please be careful."

 

"I will, thank you again."

 

She lets go of him and soon vanishes into the crowd. Akira simply stands there and places his hand over his still rapidly beating heart.

 

He wasn't sure when exactly it had happened but he couldn't deny it anymore...

 

Somewhere along the way... Akira Kurusu had fallen in love with Haru Okumura.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well it only took *looks at non-existent watch* five months. But I finally finished my first fic for this fandom. I like to think my writing has gotten so much better since I first started this but I really wanted to finish it and I'm glad I did.
> 
> All the thanks in the world to my beta reader, Captmickey, who's helped me with this since the start. I couldn't ask for a better beta. :)
> 
> Even more thanks to everyone who commented, bookmarked, gave kudos. It was all so encouraging and helped me feel less nervous about posting this. I hope some of you will stick around for future stories.
> 
> As always you can find my tumblr @ http://nexttrickanvils.tumblr.com/
> 
> You can also join my AkiHaru Discord server over here: https://discordapp.com/invite/Bj8rX5r


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